1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a collapsible tabletop lighting studio for photographing 3 dimensional objects with a digital camera.
2. Background of the Invention
Digital photography—image capture, and image-editing using the latest digital consumer cameras and inexpensive photo editing software on personal computers—is becoming quite popular and commonplace with the general public. Today, an individual or small business owner using consumer available digital imaging technology has the capability to produce high quality photographs of products or 3D objects without the expense or need of a professional photographer. This technology—digital cameras and image-editing software—has changed the need to get the final image “right” in front of the camera. To get that desired look, touchups or enhancements of the digital image can now be done later in the computer. Because of this image-editing capability, the primary function of the digital based studio is to provide lighting that improves the extent to which final changes can be made with the software. To satisfy that function a studio lighting environment needs to be evenly illuminated to reveals surface detail, shape, form, and color.
Prior art for digital tabletop studios have been generally based on, or influenced by traditional film photography techniques and the limitations of darkroom editing. Design emphasis of the prior art, in most cases, has not been focused toward the consumer market—use of low cost construction materials, simple setup, simplicity of use, and easily storable for occasional use. Instead, the prior art was been designed toward the traditional needs in product or 3D object photography—use of durable more expensive construction materials permanent erected structures, multiple directional lighting configurations, unnecessary extra features and the emphasis on getting the final image “right” in front of the camera.
Examples of prior art that are designed with multiple directional lighting configurations are: U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,662 (1981) to Gasperini, U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,620 (2003) to Goto, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,737 (2004) to Lai, et al. These designs add additional construction material needs and or structure complexity to these inventions which would cause increased manufacture costs that would be passed on to the consumer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,662 (1981) to Gasperini, U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,124 (2000) to Tarsia, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,737 (2004) to Lai, et al are designed as permanent structures and would be impractical to disassemble for storage and reassemble for occasional use.
The following U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,124 (2000) to Tarsia and U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,620 (2003) to Goto have either extra elements for cooling the vicinity of the subject to be photographed or internal power supplies for the connected multiple lighting units. Both of these elements would cause an increase to their construction and material cost.